His Desert Rose
by SBgirl04
Summary: Epilogue to Naruto: Sound Sisters - Imao had grown tired of the mundane life she now lived day-in, day-out. It was unlike her to feel that way and though the spark of adventure was within her reach, it was taken away by the one she loved and trusted. But can she manage to reignite the spark they once had and still stay true to herself?
1. Chapter 1

**No Goodbye  
_**

 _=1 1/2 years later=_

The small drawer thudded softly as a little push was given to close it. A sigh escaped into the dark bedroom. She clutched the bag in which her most important belongings and a few light pieces of clothing had been placed inside. Her throat tightened as she continued to truly come to terms with her decision. A shiver shook the insecurity lurking within her and let determination take over her being.

 _'No turning back.'_

She nodded her head before letting the rest of her make its way to the door, opening it carefully as to not make a single sound. Her body slid out smoothly though her fingertips still clung to the door knob in order to carefully close it. She swiftly and soundly made her way through various hallways and stairs before reaching the slowly creeping dawn that awaited for her outside.

Imao's mind continued to focus hard on moving quickly through the Suna streets, ignoring any patrolling ninjas that called out to her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she fought surges of emotions while keeping her steady pace. She did her best to push away the memories of previous events that clawed at her already disturbed emotions.

 _'It's hard to accept how things have changed. Ruri and Yasuko living a new life in Konoha, away from the abuse of Yasuko's ex-husband._

 _And Imai...'_

The back of her hand immediately wiped her flooding eyes before her sad facial expression turned to anger,

 _'I can't believe how selfish she is. Leaving without telling us where she's going and not even bothering to contact any of us.'_

Her teeth grit for a few seconds, dissipating along with the frustration she felt and finally going back to the contemplative depression she had been in for the past few months. She had conversed with Temari regarding the way she was feeling, seeking advice and hope. The troubled young woman began to recall the words spoken,

 _"Imao, you have progressed tremendously here. Don't feel that it has been in vain just because he is very preoccupied with his duties... I know that you will find your place and find the time to be with the one you love."_

Imao's face started to settle into an empty expression as she accepted her lack of honoring patience to her friend and mentor's reassurance. Her mind had been made up the day she accidentally stepped into a council meeting, while searching for the library.

The Suna council members had been discussing how to better their depleting water source without having to seek assistance from other villages. One of the members had jokingly asked Imao for her opinion which she answered with a wisdom that was not of a woman her age.

 _"Truthfully, I am surprised that an oasis has not been made. It would seem the only way that wouldn't require the village to find outside help would be to build an aquifer."_

The council members sat around the long wooden table, giving each other astonished glances and murmuring about what was said. The head council, who was the one to question the accidental intruder, nodded to them before deciding to build a aquifer and thanking Imao for her contribution. As he walked her out of the room and into the library, he asked her if she was interested in becoming a council member, which would require her to travel to various towns and eventually the larger villages - she felt uneasy giving him a response before speaking to Gaara about it.

Her curiosity of the offer and being more involved in village matters gave her the spark she had been looking for. But despite the eagerness she showed her suitor, he coldly denied the opportunity and asked her not to bother him with petty matters as he had a full plate with his Kazekage duties. The disconnection between the couple had been another addition to her already hurting heart. It had all gone on for too long.

The pained expression on her face during the intruding flashback immediately disappeared as she sensed herself finally reached the entrance of the Suna village. A Suna guard stood beside a small horse-driven carriage meanwhile a council member stepped out from inside it.

"Good morning, miss Imao. Are you ready?" The councilman greeted her cheerfully but still showed concern for her slightly disheveled appearance. Imao could barely contain her anguish but nodded furiously in order to shake off the doubt she held.

"Then let us be on our way." The councilman stepped aside and took her hand into his, as to guide her into the carriage. Her other hand squeezed the straps of her bag with anticipation but then stopped as she felt a familiar presence running towards her. She had been caught.

"Hey!" The young man shouted from afar. Imao's posture hung in defeat and turned around to face him. Although she did her best to stand up straight, her head still tilted down with shame. His arrival was something she did not except as he never seemed to show any interest in her during her time in Suna.

"You. What are you doing?" He came to a sliding stop - the deep vocals resounded in Imao's ears, making her shoulders cringe unwillingly.

"I... I umm..." Her mind searched for words to say.

"The Kazekage denied your leave. And here you are, disobeying his orders." Kankuro had always been about keeping any decree his brother enforced and was not about to let the blind-yet-able young woman take a step outside Suna.

"Don't speak to me as though I am his property." Her teeth grit displeasingly. The purple painted face scoffed at her stern plea, placing each hand at hips.

"You shouldn't think of yourself so highly. If you were his property, you'd be locked in his room." His twisted humor and inconsiderate remarks always annoyed her but still, she remained quiet so as to not give him a reason to continue.

A grin came across his lips as he crossed his arms,  
"You know, I'm supposed to take you back... but I know Temari is always on your side about stuff and would probably kick my ass if I don't, at least, humor you with this thing. So... let's go." He sighed reluctantly after his matter of fact statement. Imao was taken aback by this odd generosity but gave him a gratuitous smile,

"I appreciate the offer but you do not have to accompany us. It's unnecessary for you to go out of your way-"

Kankuro took her by the arm with no subtlety and slightly dragged her to the carriage before she caught her steps, clearly ignoring her casual persuasion. After getting Imao inside the carriage, he gestured at the councilman to go in next. The infamous puppeteer then made his way to the front, where he sat beside the driving Suna ninja.

Sun rays began peaking over one side of the mountain borders. A soft hum escaped Imao's mouth, which gave her the outlines of the village.

 _'This... this is for the best, right?'_

As the carriage began to rumble with movement, Imao carefully caressed the amethyst beads tied into the promise bracelet Gaara had gifted her a few months into their courtship. A knot in her throat was fought away as she continued contemplating the decision.


	2. Chapter 2

**Her Journey**  
_

"Out of all the stupid things Kankuro decides to do, he complies with joining her?" His fingers rubbed his throbbing temples, trying to relieve his frustration.

"Gaara... Please don't do anything rash. Her mind was set and somehow Kankuro did you the favor of accompanying her. I'm sure he'll be watching out for her considering what we know she's capable of." Temari tried to reassure her younger brother but managed to bring insecurity to her own mind.

"It's not that I don't trust her. The medics are still unsure how stable the seal is. I don't want to give our village any incentive against Imao. Please send a message to Kankuro that I want them to come back no matter what." He turned away from his sibling, facing a large window overseeing Suna. A sad sigh escaped his breath as he continued to look out into the distance.

Temari sighed before placing her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly,

"You shouldn't be so hasty. He'll message us should anything happen and I'm sure Imao can manage for herself." She smiled reassuringly though the Kazekage continued to delve into his thoughts.

 _'Why couldn't she stay put?'  
__

Time passed quickly for the traveling Suna group. The few council meetings in which Imao was able to observe and learn from took some mental adjusting. She made sure to study the scrolls and books supplied to her by the mentoring councilman - the information was easier learned when read to her than her using her sensing technique to see the outlines of written material.

It was almost three weeks into the journey when they finally decided to rest for a couple days at a small village that they had no pending matters to attend to. Imao took the opportunity to venture off on her own and speak to some of the locals about their village's lifestyle.

She was in a bliss with the way her knowledge of the world was progressing, every day always adding something new. But as the day darkened, she noted how the lively villagers began to close their shops and make their way to their homes. It was time for her to head back to the inn they had checked into.

Before the young council apprentice could start her guiding humming technique, one of her feet stumbled over an extended leg of a sitting homeless man. The palms of her hands slid slightly on the dirt ground before stabilizing her upper body though her hips and legs lay limp.

"My sincerest apologies, miss. Please let me help you up." A raspy voice came from above her. The disheveled looking man gripped one of her arms a little too hard while helping her up, making her wince.

"It's alright. It was my fault." _'Strange... I didn't notice him before.'_ She smiled nervously as her feet stepped back then proceeded to dusted her blue dress off. The man's body wavered oddly as he stepped closer to her.

"Please, allow me to take you to the infirmary and make sure you are truly alright." The homeless man's ragged voice seemed too eager for Imao's liking, making her step away as he reached for her arm again.

"It's alright, really." She tried to reassure him as he continued to reach for her.

Suddenly, someone jumped from atop a building and landed right in front of Imao, swatting the persistent street wanderer's hand away,

"The lady said she's fine. Let's go, Imao." Kankuro eyed the dirty vagabond disapprovingly before turning to the clueless young woman and moving her away from the area. The street wanderer's unbalanced stance calmed as he glared at the couple before turning the opposite direction and disappearing into a dark alley.

"You can't be wandering on your own at this hour. It's not safe." The purple painted ninja lectured the blind-but-able young woman.

"I'm sorry. I was unaware that the environment would change so drastically." She could sense that the night was bringing in homeless wanderers and drunkards. Imao then wondered how it was the disgruntled escort came to find her.

"Kankuro... How long have you been watching me? And why?" She felt a little offended by his constant authoritative attitude. Kankuro's brow furrowed at her tone as he eyed her without turning his head,

"I was given orders to always keep an eye on you. So, as creepy as it may sound, I've always been watching you... _for your own protection_." He pressed his lips, trying to hide his unhappy realization of duty he had undertaken.

"What would I need protection from?" Imao's voice showed concern yet curiosity as she continued following a foot behind him.

"Again, 'for your _own_ protection'." The puppeteer emphasized annoyed by her persistent questioning.

"I see...," she hung her head as she finally understood what he meant, "... Thank you, Kankuro."

Ever since the chimera incident, she had been watched upon by one ninja or another, always making sure her seals were stable and untampered with. They way in which they "cared" for her always made her feel like a weakling and a nuisance.

"Don't thank me. I wouldn't be doing this if you weren't dating Gaara." She stopped as his words rung in her ear while he continued on without her.

 _'Right...,'_

The old familiar sadness crept up inside her as she thought to herself of the past,

 _'If it wasn't for Gaara, I wouldn't be alive... If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have made the decision to pursue this against his will..._

 _But..._

 _What reason does he have to prevent me from pursuing something that will, in the end, bring us closer?_

 _Does... he not feel the same anymore?_

 _...Do I?'_

A whistle caught her attention. Kankuro called out to her from the entrance of the inn. Imao shook off her intrusive thoughts and quickly paced herself. He continued to wait at the door until she finally made her way into the inn.

The young council apprentice had immersed herself in the council member agenda and the feeling of fulfillment she was looking for was at her reach. It had been three more weeks since their inn stop and were in need of another.

The rays of the setting sun entered the carriage window as the Suna group continued their trip to the next neighboring town. Imao had just finished conversing with councilman about her possible future in the Sunagakure council. Even though she had the drive to commit herself to this new experience her heart still ached for Gaara's approval and support. It was the one thing she felt could make her know he still loved her.

She lightly rolled one of the amethyst beads between the tips of her fingers as she pondered about her relationship. A sudden jerk of the carriage flung her hands into the air, breaking her bracelet and spilling the beads around the inside of the carriage. Before she could start collecting the beads, a strange shout came from outside.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop.


	3. Chapter 3

**Their Fight**  
 **_**

The constructions of the village aquifer had been underway for almost a week. Gaara looked on, observing the building of what Imao had coined to the council. A satisfied smile crept up on his lips as a proud feeling enveloped him but then turned to a sullen and longing expression.

 _'I wish she was here to see it. I didn't think she felt... caged by staying here.'_

He sighed at the thought and pondered about her new found passion but also wondered about their relationship.

 _'I don't want to hold her back but... I want her here..._

 _Is it bad to feel this strange possessive want over someone?'_

He turned away from the incomplete oasis and took his time walking back to the Kazekage building, contemplating the previous events that led to their discord. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by two frantic Suna ninjas calling out to him as they ran running.

They immediately stopped before him,  
"Sir! We received _the_ distress signal bird." The ninja's winded breathing steadied.

"Where did it coming from?" Gaara questioned with great concern.

"A couple of miles from here." The other ninja pointed in the direction from where the signal came from.

"Let's go." The Kazekage and his ninjas took no time in quickly making their way through the Suna streets and out of the village.

Her ears perked up as she tried to listen to the outside noises. She could hear Kankuro and the driver make their way in front of the two horses that pulled their carriage.

"What's going on?" The councilman questioned, before peeking through the window curtain. Imao's curiosity got the best of her and stepped out of the carriage, with the councilman following behind her.

"Tanaka! Get the councilman back inside!" Kankuro's frantic words startled the councilman and apprentice.

"What's happening?" she tried to hide her concern as she heard the urgency and aggravation of his voice. The puppeteer and the other Suna ninja stood in a readied fighting stance.

"I knew something was up with you. Ever since you tripped her at that one place." Kankuro glared at the man that stood various yards away from them. It seemed the homeless man they had run into a few weeks before had found his way to them, wearing a dark coat over the same dirtied shirt and pants. The only difference giving his intentions away was the ninja sandals and a forehead protector with a music note symbol in the center of the metal plate.

"Give me the girl. That's all I want." The disheveled looking mad spoke with a matter-of-fact tone and stood hunched over with a sinister look on his face.

"Like hell I will!" Kakuro shouted defiantly.

"Don't worry, I'll send you to hell soon, foolish boy, but first," the man took a few steps forward, making everyone's body twitch in anticipation, but then stopped to looked over at the blind council apprentice, "Young woman... I know what you are. You don't belong with these _normal_ humans. You deserve to be treated like a goddess." The dirty-looking man, though still at a distance, extended his arm to her.

Kankuro leaped to block his view of Imao,  
"Don't listen to him-"

"I saw the way this one treated you. Do you truly believe someone like him would want what's best for you? I can help you achieve-"

Kankuro and the other ninja abruptly rushed to the disheveled looking man, stopping his manipulative speech. The purple painted ninja swung his puppets before him and his comrade.

The kidnapper-to-be frowned at his attackers, jumping up and away to gain time to make his hand signs. In an instant, strange green lightning erupted from his hands and struck the puppets and the Suna ninjas. The puppets were scorched and splintered meanwhile the electrocuted ninjas laid flat on the desert sand, groaning from the pain.

"Kankuro!" Imao and the councilman crouched in fear. Her humming helped her sensed what had happened but also noted something very strange. Somehow the lightning that had struck the sand around them had created small glass spikes. The man began to walk towards his fallen opponents as he chuckled at their state. Imao did her best to muster up some courage and quickly made her way in front of the carriage. She knew she had to protect her group and immediately made her hand signs to release a deafening screech from her mouth. The enemy had instantly surrounded himself in a spinning air bubble that repelled her attack.

The uncontrollable sound waves spread all around her and as the screech dissipated, a thud from behind startled the council apprentice.

 _'Oh no...'_ To her dismay, her premature jutsu backfired and paralyzed everyone in her group. She turned back as her opponent laughed loudly at her lack of fighting performance. This gave her an opportunity to pinpoint his location, take out a few kunai from her holster and swiftly threw chakra-infused weapons at the man. The assailant jumped away, not letting any of them hit him. Once again, she paced herself forward and away from her group and tried to release another sonic screech. She gasped as nothing came out of her throat and fell to her knees out from her attempt to use chakra.

"Who are you and what do you want with me!? I am nothing of value!" The exasperation flowed through her barely amplified words.

"I go by Manabu. I work for Lord Orochimaru as a special human hunter and I should tell you, we share something in common. I, my dear, am a successful experiment... Like. You," he paused to give her a forced smile, "And we experiments have to stick together, no?"

 _'He's... like me?'_ The blue dressed woman tried to contain her surprise caused by the man's reason. She shook the nonsense off by thinking about her hopes and dreams, as well as protecting her paralyzed group members,

"No! My body may harbor an uncontrollable monstrosity but my heart and mind are pure. I will not leave my friends out here to die-"

"This isn't your choice! I'm going to kill them all and take you as my prize!" He laughed, though annoyed at her defiance, then did his hand signs once more, releasing a larger amount of lightning than before.

Imao quickly leaped in front of the injured Suna group and gathered enough chakra to released another jutsu in order to protect them. A sonic boom shield traveled out of her stretched arm and spread to her sides. She was able to block most of the extending streams of lightning, most bouncing up into the sky, though a thin stream of lighting managed to hit her forearm and singed her long sleeve.

To her surprise, the blast from her sonic boom jutsu not only exploded sand up into the air but also pushed her enemy farther away from the Suna group . He landed several yards away, somehow unharmed by the jutsu. The little granules began to rain down around the disheveled man.

"Ugh... ghastly." His disgusted face turned towards the ground and stood up. He dusted and shook off the sand that continued to fall on his cloak.

Her breath heaved as she felt her chakra almost run out. Anything she would try next would possibly kill her in the process. As she sat there waiting for more electricity to be thrown about, she noted the calmness,  
 _'He's not using his jutsu...'_ This felt like the right moment for her to make a quick plan.

"If I can't have you... then no one can." His frowning mouth turned to a disturbed smile as he began to walk towards the shaken young woman.

It caused her great frustration to hear that. Imao was not a fighter but she wasn't going to allow a twisted person get what they wanted. She placed her hand on the sand directly in front of her and did a small-scale echolocation jutsu that didn't require much chakra. As soon as the pulse gave her his position she grabbed a nearby kunai, jumped to her feet and ran towards him with all her might.

"I am not a tool for anyone to use!" Her legs lifted her high into the sky, as she prepared to swing her arms down and impale her opponent with a kunai in her hands.

At the same time, Manabu threw a large clump of sand into the air with a quick air jutsu and electrified it, condensing it into a large piece of glass. His electricity continued all over the glass and burst it into smaller, sharp spikes which were sent flying at her direction.

Imao could only hear her impending doom but for once, it didn't matter. In her mind, she knew that if she died, no one from her village would ever be hurt because of her - it was a sacrifice she was willing to take.


	4. Chapter 4

**His Desert Rose  
**

* * *

 _'I'm sorry Gaara... I still...'_

Imao did her best to push aside her feelings as to not back down from her attack but even if she wanted to there was no turning back.

Before the glass spikes were inches from impaling her body, she was immediately yanked away by a large amount of sand in the shape of a hand. A large sand wall arose from the ground and prevented the rest of the shards from hitting anyone else.

The red-haired Kazekage sped towards the attacker on a sand platform and quickly wrapped sand around the enemy's neck with enough grip to lightly choke him,

"Don't you dare hurt a single hair on her body!"

"Too late." The enhanced man sent his electricity all over his body. Any sand that was covering him immediately turned into a barrier of glass and stone then shattered it by electrifying himself once more. As the current continued to flow through and out of him, the sand under his pacing feet would turn to stone plates.

The Kazekage was appalled at his enemy's ability and distances himself. He looked over at his comrades aiding the fallen ones and hardened the sand wall that covered them. _'This should help for now.'_

Gaara then flung more sand at Manabu in hopes of trapping him but the sinister man continued to throw his electricity at it, creating more glass which shattered and shot towards the sand manipulator. He tried his best to maneuver between the sharp, speeding glass but failed as his shoulder was struck by a kunai-sized shard. He winced in pain as he pulled it out and blood seeped out of his wound.

Manabu laughed at his slight success and continued to pace towards the red head, "You can't stop me!"

His green eyes glared down at the disheveled-looking man as he tried to morph the sand around him. For some odd reason, Gaara struggled to bring sand up and continued sifting through the sand. He immediately noted that it was heavier than usual and felt a few small, odd-looking clusters of sand and slowly pulled one out.

 _'A desert rose?'_ The sand structure it formed looked similar to a thick tree branch with roses scattered on it. The kazekage became aware that they had gotten closer to a large body of water. As the opponents continued to get closer to it, he continued to sift through the sand until he found a very large cluster. As he watched his enemy get closer to him, he nodded to himself and immediately rose the sand cluster out and flung it straight to Manabu.

The large, jagged mineral structure sped through the air but his opponent threw his lightning at it, transforming part of the desert rose cluster into glass. Unfortunately for him, his lighting was unable to shatter the large structure which gave Gaara the upper hand as he continued to send it towards Manabu. Before the enemy could re-do his jutsu, the sharp glass spikes that had been formed from the lightning impaled him while the rest of the cluster crushed him, killing him instantly.

The red-haired ninja heaved a sigh of relief and covered the deceased prowler with sand before heading to his Suna group. He looked over at everyone and finally stood before a sullen Imao.

"How... how did you know?" her voice wavered in discomfort.

"Kankuro sent a 'distress' bird... and on our way, I sensed the vibrations of your jutsu." Gaara pursed his lips, feeling uneasy.

"Right..." the young woman rubbed her slightly injured arm.

The two medic Suna guards that had accompanied Gaara finished tending to Kankuro, the councilman, and guard. The young kazekage waved to one of them so that they would tend to Imao and his wounds before continuing to help the others again.

As the medic stepped away from the couple, the awkward silence was broken,

"Let's go... and this time, do not leave my sight." Gaara's resentment for her abrupt decisions seeped through his words.

Imao's shame covered gaze turned hard as she responded bluntly,

"I am very grateful that you saved us but... I cannot go back to Sunagakure until I am finished with my duties." Imao finally put her foot down and stood by what her heart had been yearning for and gave her conditions, "I'll go back to heal my injuries but afterward, I will continue my council studies to proceed with becoming a full-fledged council member in order to help with the country's internal and external affairs. I hope you understand."

The council apprentice stopped as she noted how Gaara's arms crossed with disapproval. His silence unnerved her but she continued,

"Honestly, there's a lot I seek and staying in Sunagakure would prevent me from doing what I've set in my heart to do. I _want_ to become a valued council member and I won't allow myself or _anyone_ to stop me."

Her suitor's brow furrowed as he closed his eyes in frustration but then they began to glisten as he stepped in front of her and looked down at her,  
"I... I understand. I don't want to hold you back... so you will have all of my support in whatever you want to do. But please...," his hands took hers, "when you are done... come back to me... and become my wife." At that moment, he took out a small desert rose he had removed from a cluster that had been tainted with his blood and placed it atop her left ear like a brooch.

Imao's cheeks flushed a bright red and managed to stutter, "I... umm... yes. I accept." A shy smile escaped her lips right before Gaara placed his atop them.

Their tender moment was disrupted by the claps and wooing of the Suna group. They all took the time to congratulated the newly engaged couple before they all began their journey back home.

A/N: Songs that inspired this whole epilogue fanfic are What If by Coldplay and Jade by Aaron Krause.

Thanks for reading!


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